Lapierre trumps Mokoena, Saladino at Madrid Meet

AP , MADRID

Canadian Jennifer Joyce competes during the hammer final at the meet in Madrid on Saturday.

PHOTO: AFP

Fabrice Lapierre of Australia used a favorable wind to win the long jump at the Madrid Meet on Saturday, in what was expected to be a duel between Olympic champion Irving Saladino and silver medalist Godfrey Khotso Mokoena.

Lapierre jumped a wind-aided 8.57m to beat Mokoena, who finished second with an African record jump of 8.50m.

Saladino, who took gold over Mokoena in Beijing last year, was third with a best jump of 8.43m despite an even stronger wind than Lapierre.

“The wind was very tough today, very strange,” said Saladino, who is also reigning world champion. “I tried to do it and I just couldn’t, but I’m still happy with the performance. Wind or no wind, I lost — that’s indisputable.”

In the women’s triple jump, Olympic silver medalist Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia held off countrywoman Anna Pyatykh to win the Grand Prix event at the Moratalaz stadium.

Most of the favorites on the track prevailed, including Hasna Benhassi in the women’s 800m.

The Olympic bronze medalist from Morocco won with in 1:59.03 to edge British pair Jemma Simpson and Marilyn Okoro.

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa took the men’s race, with Olympic silver medalist Ahmed Ismael of Sudan finishing third.

Ireland’s David Gillick won the men’s 400m in 44.77, and Christine Amertil of the Bahamas won the women’s race in 51.77.

Jamaica’s Steve Mullings easily won the men’s 100m in 10.11, ahead of Francis Obikwelu of Portugal. In the women’s event, US sprinter Gloria Asumnu won with a time of 11.40.

In the women’s 1,500m Natalia Rodriguez held off Spanish teammate Marta Rodriguez while Johan Cronje of South Africa won the men’s race in 3:37.33.